It's a simple move, in which the 6-2 San Antonio Spurs point guard glides to the center of the paint and flicks a high-arcing shot over the outstretched hands of a taller and often more athletic defender. And it works, now as ever.

Parker will take the court Sunday for his sixth NBA All-Star Game appearance. He'll be the Spurs' lone representative; legendary teammate Tim Duncan did not make the roster despite the team's second-place standing in the Western Conference. And while he lacks the shooting range of Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard or the passing acumen of Chris Paul, Parker will stand out among West point guards for his sense of timing, for knowing exactly when to release that floater.

"He's very crafty. He's very good at changing pace and has a very good pull-up jump shot," Spurs shooting guard Danny Green said. "He knows how to get in the paint and finish over bigs in traffic. And he does have an extra gear that he can kick into. He's not as fast as he used to be, but he does have some moves."

Parker tirelessly credits his teammates, even saying he viewed his All-Star selection as a reward more for them than himself. And with his averages (17.7 points, 6.2 assists entering Wednesday) down from last season's (20.3 and 7.6), he could have been omitted.

But the 37-15 Spurs have weathered injuries like few other contenders, at one point down four of their top-six rotation players. Things haven't been smooth, and they are 6-7 since mid-January.

But one constant has been Parker, a starter on three championship teams, who still is dropping shots over defenders and opening the court for his teammates.

"When he's playing well, the team plays well," center Tiago Splitter said. "He got more shots, more touches, more responsibility. He knows it, and he's going to do it for us."

GALLERY: Western Conference All-Stars

Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant again were named to the Western Conference All-Star team, though Bryant will sit out of the game this time around. Flip through to see others on the roster. (Photo: Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports)

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Parker is hitting a new stage in his evolution. The French star is 31 now, well removed from taking the Spurs' reins as a 19-year-old rookie in 2001-02. He's gone from being the weak link on the 2003 champions to the star player on last season's NBA finalists.

Now he has Splitter, Green, small forward Kawhi Leonard and a deep bench with mainstays Duncan and sixth man Manu Ginobili. Parker is playing fewer minutes per game (30.9) than all but one season since his rookie year and has reduced his shot volume from the previous two.

"He's learned to trust his teammates more," Green said. "Obviously last year he had an MVP-type season and took over a lot of games for us and led us to a lot of victories, which he's been doing for his whole career. But he's been learning to, you know, not try to put the whole weight on his own shoulders and let his teammates try to help."

Parker has become the Spurs' stabilizer. He still makes more than half his shots (50.1%), a rare feat for a point guard. And he shows his leadership in key moments, shooting 59.0% in the fourth quarter, although he often is on the bench by then in another Spurs blowout.

In a Feb. 3 win against the New Orleans Pelicans, Parker scored 21 of his game-high 32 points in the second half to help erase a 14-point deficit. The highlight play? A smooth move to slip past Pelicans All-Star power forward Anthony Davis for a difficult layup.

"He does whatever is needed to best help our team win on a night-to-night basis," said longtime Spurs forward Matt Bonner, who praised Parker's improvements as a passer and shooter. "He's got so much experience, he's figured out what that is."

Parker still isn't much of a defender. And while he's improved as a shooter, he still prefers the lane. But he still has that sense of timing — and the teardrop floater to go with it — that has kept him and the Spurs relevant for years.

"What you see is what you get," said veteran guard Shannon Brown, who joined the Spurs midseason. "Me being a fan of basketball, I like the way he approaches his game: always calm, nothing erratic. If something ain't going right, you ain't going to see him panic out there."

GALLERY: NBA photo of the day

April 15, 2014: Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, left, grabs a rebound in a 117-1105 win against the Nuggets. The victory keeps their hopes of snatching the West's No. 2 seed from the Thunder alive. (Photo: Richard Mackson, USA TODAY Sports)

April 14, 2014: Minnesota Timberwolves forward Corey Brewer goes crowd surfing in the middle of a game against the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors went on to win a 130-120 shootout, clinching the 6th seed in the playoffs. (Photo: Kelley L Cox, USA TODAY Sports)

April 13, 2014: Paul George and his Indiana Pacers got a much-needed win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, as his squad jousts with the Miami Heat for the top playoff spot in the East. (Photo: Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports)

March 18, 2014: On the day he was introduced as Knicks president, Phil Jackson joins former teammates Walt Frazier and Dick Barnett and Peter DeBusschere, son of Jackson teammate Dave. (Photo: William Perlman, The Star-Ledger, via USA TODAY Sports)

March 3, 2014: The night belonged to LeBron James, who put on a show for the South Beach crowd with a career-high and Heat-record 61 points in a 124-107 win over the Bobcats. (Photo: Robert Mayer, USA TODAY Sports)

March 2, 2014: Joakim Noah (13) sends Raymond Felton's (2) shot back where it came from as the Bulls rolled to a 109-90 win over the Knicks in Chicago. Noah wracked up a triple-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists. (Photo: Mike Dinovo, USA TODAY Sports)

March 1, 2014: The Philadelphia 76ers honored franchise great, Allen Iverson, by retiring his number during halftime of their game against the Washington Wizards. (Photo: Eric Hartline, USA TODAY Sports)

Feb 24, 2014: Everyone knew he would take the shot, but the Knicks still couldn't stop Dirk Nowitzki (41), who hit the game-winning shot here at the buzzer to give the Mavericks a 110-108 win. (Photo: Anthony Gruppuso, USA TODAY Sports)

Feb. 23, 2014: Brooklyn Nets center Jason Collins (46) attempts a shot during the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers. Collins became the first openly gay athlete to play in any of North America's four major professional sports. (Photo: Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports)

Feb. 5, 2014: Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins attempts to save the ball from going out of bounds during the third quarter in the Kings' game against the Toronto Raptors. (Photo: Ed Szczepanski, USA TODAY Sports)

Jan. 26, 2014: It was another emotional night in Boston as Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett returned for the first time since being traded to the Nets in July. Each only scored six points, but Brooklyn came away with a 85-79 win. (Photo: Mark L. Baer, USA TODAY Sports)

Jan. 25, 2014: Thunder star Kevin Durant had his game face on for a 103-91 win over the 76ers, finishing with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists for his second triple-double of the season. Durant also scored 30 or more for the 10th consecutive game. (Photo: Howard Smith, USA TODAY Sports)

Jan. 24, 2014: Carmelo Anthony was all smiles after he delighted the home crowd and lit up Madison Square Garden with a franchise and arena-record 62 points in the Knicks' 125-96 win over the Bobcats. (Photo: Noah K. Murray, USA TODAY Sports)

Jan. 12, 2014: C.J. Miles (0) couldn't get to the bucket here against Jason Thompson (34), just as the Cavaliers had a tough time scoring against the Kings in a 124-80 loss. Sacramento's 44-point blowout was the biggest rout of the NBA season so far. (Photo: Kelley L. Cox, USA TODAY Sports)

Jan. 10, 2014: In an NBA first, the Heat and Nets wore jerseys with nicknames on the back. "The Truth" Paul Pierce (34) and the Nets got the better of "King James" LeBron James and the Heat in a 104-95 double-overtime win. (Photo: Joe Camporeale, USA TODAY Sports)

Jan. 5, 2014: A frustrated Jose Calderon pleads his case with an official during the Mavericks' home loss to the Knicks. New York frustrated Dallas into a season low in points in a 92-80 win. (Photo: Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports)

Jan. 4, 2014: Kevin Love, right, got the better of Kevin Durant in this collision of All-Stars, but Durant and the Thunder got the better of Love and the Timberwolves on the scoreboard in Oklahoma City's 115-111 win. (Photo: Jesse Johnson, USA TODAY Sports)

Jan. 1, 2014: Monta Ellis (11) played some tough defense on John Wall (2) here as the Mavericks locked down on the Wizards in the fourth quarter of an 87-78 win in Washington. (Photo: Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports)